Victoria's Secret Escapes

Victoria's Secret • Angel Card • Cover Up, Victoria! • Customer Service • Disappearing Discounts • Escapes • Pricing Disputes • Wired! --- News • Post-Holiday Letdown

One of Victoria's little secrets is that if you're not careful, you'll find yourself enrolled in Secret Escapes, to the tune of $99.95.

Warning: include(/home/html/conaff/incs//victoria_secret_escapes.inc) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/conaff/retail/victoria_secret_escapes.html on line 54

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/home/html/conaff/incs//victoria_secret_escapes.inc' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php:/usr/share/pear') in /var/www/conaff/retail/victoria_secret_escapes.html on line 54

Brena of Phoenix, AZ (10/25/05)
I placed an order online at Victoria's Secret and was asked if I wanted a free trial of Victoria's Secret Escapes. I was supposed to receive some information via email. I waited a week and when I did not receive anything I did some research. I contacted the company to cancel the trial but every time I called the "system was down" and couldn't access any account information.

After the 3rd try with the same response I demanded a supervisor. The lady I was speaking with said that the supervisor's computer was also down so there was nothing he could do either. I still demanded and got a supervisor. He immediately canceled my "trial" membership.

Kind of funny how that all worked. Hopefully "Omar" really cancelled my membership!

George of Windsor Mills, MD (11/28/05)
Last year I ordered several items from Victoria's Secret. After making my order I was asked if I wanted to join the Escapes program. After hearing the advantages of the program I elected to accept the offer.

After about a month I contacted the company to cancel the membership. One year later I received a bank notice that my credit card was charged again for the amount of $99.95. I contacted the number on my bank statement and was informed that the membership had been cancelled. I said, "If the membership was cancelled, why was my credit card charged?" To my surprise he went into a selling spill on how much I travel and was willing to give me $40 worth of free coupons for their program!

Obviously, once your credit card has been used at Victoria Secrets they will continue to charge your card for services that you do not want.

Emily of Natchitoches LA (11/3/04):
Last April I ordered a dress off of Victoria's Secret's website. Before processing the order they asked if I wanted to join Escapes. I just thought that I would receive little things in the mail, and not that you paid $89.95 a year! When I received my bank statement I called the number listed for Escapes. The number did not work, and there were no listings of it on the web! I had forgotten about this until yesterday when I ordered something from VS.com, and they asked me if I wanted to join Escapes. I quickly printed out the number and am going to call.

I was barely 18 at the time I signed up for Escapes, they should tell you the fees involved before taking $90 out of your checking account. I was 18, I didn't (and still do not) have $90 to throw away at something I know nothing about!

Danyelle of Woodland CA (8/4/04):
I have been a loyal customer of Victoria's Secret for a number of years. Recently I made a purchase for apparel through their website, as I have done many times before. Today I noticed that there is a charge to my account for $89.95 from MWI*VS ESCAPES TRAVEL 888-256-3916. I called the number and the automated system answered that it was Victoria's Secret Travel. I was never able to speak with a live person through this number.

I then called my bank and was told that this was not fraud but a dispute. Apparently if you have ever used your credit card or ATM/VISA card with a company in the past, they are free to do as ever they please with your account and the only recourse you have is to dispute the charges. This is a whole other issue!

However, I was informed that US Bank did set a protocol for handling issues with all MWI complaints. This also disturbs me that this problem is so prevalent that they need to set up a procedure for them but have done nothing to protect their customers from such charges such as requiring a signed acknowledgement before honoring them. I then called Victoria's Secret and informed them how unhappy I was with them and discovered that this MWI*VS ESCAPES TRAVEL is an "affiliate company". In other words they are an independent company that is supplying some sort of initiative to what was formally to me a reputable company, to provide them with the credit card information that I had entrusted to them.

They transferred me over to this "affiliate company" that was very obviously not even in this country. I discovered that they had apparently mailed me something that looks very much like junk mail that is usually tossed that stated if I did not contact them they would assume that I wanted their "service" and would bill my credit card. Surprise - they did just that! Now I am aware of the try this for 30 days risk free scam and would never fall for that. But this is an entirely new tactic that seems to me should be highly illegal! "We have against your will obtained pertinent financial information from a company you trusted and will now begin dipping into your money that you depend on for survival as we please unless you tell us we can't." At this point it is too soon to tell whether I will have my money returned.

I have been out of work for 4 weeks. At the time I became unemployed unexpectedly, I had enough money to survive at our normal standard for 2 weeks. I am a single mother with four teenage children still at home and am the only means of support for them. I do not receive any assistance from anyone (i.e. deadbeat dad or any agency). We have all had to make sacrifices to get through this period of time. Although I have a position beginning in 1 week, it will still be 2 weeks after that before I receive any further income. This has been a horrible blow for someone who has been struggling to be self sufficient and independent for 10 years and did well to be able to put enough aside to survive during my employment issues. That $89.95 made the difference between successfully being able to get through this hardship or failing.

Back to the top |